Heart & Vascular Surgery

Angioplasty

To treat blocked arteries, decrease chest pain (angina), improve heart function for increased physical activity, reduce heart attack risk or help prevent stroke, your surgeon will insert special tubing with an inflatable balloon into the coronary arteries (blood vessels that supply blood to heart tissue).

Once the tubing is in place, the balloon is inflated to widen the blocked area. This will restore blood flow to the area of the heart that has been cut off or reduced, greatly improving heart function and health. This heart procedure does not involve any cutting of the skin and can take anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours.

Artificial Heart Valve Surgery

When a dysfunctional or diseased heart valve needs to be replaced, artificial heart valve surgery may be the proper treatment method. Some valves are mechanical, and some are biological. This heart procedure restores correct function to the heart by replacing the diseased valve with a healthy one. This procedure type of heart surgery is invasive and does involve cutting of the skin.

Atherectomy

Similar to angioplasty, this type of vascular surgery restores blood flow in the arteries by reducing plaque buildup using a rotating shaver at the tip of a catheter. This procedure may also be used in the carotid arteries, which can help reduce stroke risk.

Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

One of the most common types of cardiovascular surgery, bypass surgery improves the blood supply to the heart, relieves chest pain (angina), decreases heart attack risk and improves heart function for physical activity. This invasive procedure takes arteries or veins from other parts of the body (known as grafts) and uses them to "bypass" a blocked artery and restore blood flow to the heart.

Heart Transplant

When no other cardiac surgery is effective or is an appropriate option to restore heart health, a person may require a heart transplant. This procedure is a proven method to restore complete heart function. Learn more about heart transplants.

Limited-access Coronary Artery Surgery

This minimally invasive procedure is an alternative to a traditional coronary artery bypass surgery. It is conducted to manage blood flow to the heart by improving blood supply that has been limited by a blocked or clogged artery. It can relieve chest pain (angina), reduce heart attack risk and improve physical ability.

Pacemaker or Defibrillator Implantation

Some patients may require a temporary or permanent pacemaker or defibrillator to help control the heartbeat. This cardiac surgery implants such a device and is usually performed while the patient is awake under a sedative to relax.

Cardiac Ablation (Cryoablation and  Radiofrequency Abalations)

When a patient has an abnormal heart rhythm, this minimally invasive type of heart surgery can help treat the problem. The surgeon guides a small catheter containing an electrode through the veins to the heart muscle, at which point a mild, painless radiofrequency energy is transmitted to destroy a few heart muscle cells in order to cure the electrical signal problem that caused the abnormal heart rhythm.

Stent Procedure

When a patient experiences chest pain (angina) or low blood flow to the heart, they may benefit from a stent procedure, which is designed to hold open the artery and restore blood flow. Stents can be used for more than just the heart — they can be used to treat peripheral artery disease as well.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)

This cardiovascular procedure is used for inoperable patients with aortic stenosis. Aortic stenosis is a progressive disease that affects the aortic valve of the heart by restricting proper blood flow. During the procedure, cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons replace the damaged valve using a catheter, threading an expandable heart valve up an artery from the groin and adjusting it within the heart. By using a catheter, the doctors are able to perform the necessary procedures without having to perform open heart surgery.